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Fine Arts Education Day in Jefferson City, MO and Performance from Hannah Ryan On Shakespeare's Birthday

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The Missouri Alliance for Arts Education has sponsored a Fine Arts Education Day at the Missouri State Capitol since 2004. This year, on Thursday, March 31, Hannah Ryan (First Place), Tom Horton (Second Place) and Rhiannon Skye Creighton (Third Place) represented the St. Louis Branch on the program. The purpose of Fine Arts Education Day is to highlight the importance of fine arts education in Missouri schools. The performance venue was the First Floor Capitol Rotunda.

Recognition of Ruth A. Bryant’s Service to The English-Speaking Union / St. Louis Branch

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As most of you know, Ruth Bryant stepped down as ESU president after years of dedicated service to the branch. Her leadership has enabled our branch to flourish in so many ways: engaging speakers, spearheading the British University Summer School program and our Shakespeare competition, inviting Evelyn Wrench speakers and Page scholars, and organizing successful social functions.

Ruth joined the St. Louis Branch in 1973, and was elected to the board in 1989 when Nick Franchot was president. She served as vice president from 1992 to 1996 and was elected president in 1997. Ruth generously shared her knowledge with National, serving on the executive committee of the ESUUS from 1998 to 2002, and served for two years as National Vice President responsible for development. She continues to be our inspiration.

Robert Hulse, MA, is Director of London's Brunel Museum, housed in Brunel's original Thames Tunnel engine house, and winner of The Queen's Award in 2010. National ESU Evelyn Wrench Speaker selected to tour Region VI, he is co-author of The Brunels' Tunnel, with a foreword by Michael Palin. Mr. Hulse has worked in education and museums for 20 years. He has taught at London University and City University; lectured at Chiba University, Tokyo, the Royal Institution of Great Britain and Tel Aviv University. He worked with the Greater London Authority to organize the first public walks through the Thames Tunnel in 145 years. He is now working with Brunel Museum Trustees to build a visitor center in Brunel's Grand Entrance Hall. The museum was recently awarded the Freedom of the Ancient Metropolitan Borough of Bermondsey, thus bestowing on Mr. Hulse twin rare privileges: he is now permitted access to any of the river-steps of the Thames… and may drive sheep across London Bridge.

What Are Garter and Lyon Up to Now?

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Brian Abel Ragen, PhD

Sunday, April 3, 2016

Cocktails ~ 12:30 Lunch ~ 1:00Program & speaker to follow

$35 per member ~ $40 per guest
Cash Bar Guests welcome

Brian Abel Ragen is Emeritus Professor of English at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, where he taught for two decades. He is a graduate of Pomona College in Claremont, California, and holds a Ph.D from Princeton University. He was editor of the scholarly journal Paper on Language on Literature and is the author of bonks on Flannery O'Connor and Tom Wolfe, as well as articles on subjects that range from biblical allusions in Chaucer to the revision of traditional hymns in modern hymnals. His interests in heraldry and chivalry are both scholarly and professional. The journal Semiotics published a major article on heraldry by Ragen, and he won the American Heraldry's Society's award for the best heraldic design of 2009. He is a Knight of Justice of the Most Venerable Order of St.John and has been granted arms by the College of Arms.